YA Protagonists Still Aren’t Like Other Girls
Teen media has held onto the same character stereotypes for decades. They’ve become easily identifiable, key tropes: the popular girl, the nerd, the jock — the main character. You can identify the main character because she’s not like other girls. Modern audiences roll their eyes at the trope: the Main Character is quirky, relatable, and doesn’t “try too hard” or focus on her looks because caring about looks and fashion is for other girls — girls who aren’t main characters.
But young adult literature (aka “YA”) is a book genre that prides itself on its ability to pave the way for the future. So why is it that, despite all of its progressive ideals, YA still shies away from feminine, confident protagonists?
“If you can’t find these characters, you’re not looking hard enough,” one could argue. Of course, one could name-drop specific titles that feature feminine protagonists. But that wouldn’t discredit the original point. Because this isn’t an issue of femininity being “marginalized”. This isn’t an issue of protagonists not being girly enough. Femininity is only a symptom of a larger question: why is it that YA protagonists tend to consistently represent a very specific kind of female hero, as if girls who do not ascribe to this are better suited as side characters?
